Finding The Best Digital Camera: What You Need to Know

FINDING THE BEST DIGITAL CAMERA

It seems that every month, if not every week, different manufacturers are coming up with the latest digital cameras to entice potential clients. And it's just not working for us!

After spending sizeable amount of time at the mall figuring out which is the best digital camera for us, we finally have enough money to buy for that eye-popping, 7 mega pixel, 10x digital zoom, potable, candy colored, up to 512MB expandable memory of super hi-speed SD memory card and not to mention very portable, (that will be the envy of almost everyone we know). We march to the mall armed with our life savings and lotsa pride in ourselves, when we pass by a new display - an eight mega pixel, up to 1G expandable memory, with built it mic and stereo surround, video playback capable, with 22 scenic modes kind-of-camera. And we sigh because the producer of this amazing gadget claims that this is the best digital camera yet out in the market. Since we'd like to get the best, we attempt to buy such a camera." But then again, that doesn't last too long, after two months or so, there's another "best digital camera."

It can be confusing. What makes a digital camera, the best digital camera?

Well, there are certain factors to consider when looking for the "best digital camera" for us

MEGAPIXELS. One of the most important features of digital camera to make it into the best digital camera category is its mega pixel property. The higher the mega pixels the better the actual photograph will come out. A mega pixel is equivalent to one million pixels. The resolution of your image is based upon the mega pixel property of your camera. This means that as you enlarge the picture, you would get more detail and less blurry colors.

LCD SIZE. Having a large, bright LCD makes it easy to frame your subject well. Some cameras have touch up and image editing features accessible from the LCD. A 1.5-inch display is average, a 2-inch LCD display is good, but the best LCD size would be 2.5 inches or higher.

ZOOM. Most digital cameras have both digital and optical zoom. You should always try to get a higher optical zoom rather than a digital zoom. Digital cameras are usually furnished with optical of between 3x to 10x. The better the optical zoom, the higher it climbs up to the best digital camera category.

CHOOSING A MEMORY CARD. Be sure that you get the right type of memory card for your camera. There are different types of memory card like the xD, SD, Flash card and the likes. Be sure you get the right type of card for your camera. of course memory storage is also up there in choosing the best digital cameras. Getting the right amount of memory is critical. Memory cards come in a wide variety of sizes.

The key point to find the best digital camera is to find one that will best fit you and your lifestyle. Don't just buy the latest or the one that claims they are the best digital cameras out in the market. You wouldn't want to buy a digital SLR and use it with your home activities or family outing and have to lug it around?! Or you don't want to buy the latest point and shoot camera when you're serious about being a professional photographer. (note that if you're no longer a novice, you won't want this sort of camera.)

Actually, the best digital camera is the one that you will enjoy and use. Not the type that you'll just leave rotting in its box or after a few weeks of usage or so, up there in the attic.

Full Frame vs. Crop DSLRs: Pros and Cons

The topic of sensor size always comes up when shopping for a digital SLR. As you probably know, the sensor in a digital camera is responsible for capturing the image. Since DSLRs have much higher quality sensors than digital point and shoots, SLRs are able to achieve much better image quality. In general, the bigger the sensor, the better the image quality.

Because a larger sensor also means a greater cost, SLR manufacturers have to compromise. Ideally, a digital SLR sensor would be exactly the same size as a frame of 35mm film. However, the cost of producing a sensor like this is so high that most manufacturers decided to create a smaller sized sensor, one that is a fair amount smaller than a full sized sensor. This creates the so called "crop factor"

This crop factor is usually a number around 1.5. Basically, this means that if you were to look at a full 35mm frame, the crop sensor would only capture a 1.5x crop of the frame. In essence, you get an closer view with an equivalent focal length. This means that your wide angle lenses will be less wide, and that your telephoto lenses will have more reach. Note that for a given focal length, the depth of field will remain the same.

For many photographers, these crop sensors work great. If you're into sports, wildlife, or any telephoto heavy photography discipline, the extra "reach" you get from the crop sensor really comes in handy at times. You can also get extremely affordable crop frame bodies, such as Nikon's D40. These cameras are a real boon to amateur photographers.

However, full frame sensors still hold a serious advantage in many real world situations. As I said before, bigger equals better when it comes to image quality. Full frame sensors can deliver a much sharper, smooth image at higher ISOs than a cropped sensor can. If you work in low light conditions, this is a great feature. Also, for photographers who love wide angle lenses, full frame camera bodies offer the widest degree of options.  New cameras such as the Canon 5D Mark II make it easier to afford these cameras, as well.

Overall, choosing your sensor format shouldn't be the only factor that you take into account when choosing a new camera, but it should be a major one. The image quality and dim light capabilities of a full frame sensor will blow you mind, if you can handle the price. Otherwise, you might be better off saving your money and getting a cropped sensor camera. Either way, you can still take great pictures.

How To Recover Accidentally Deleted Photos

Sometimes it's just too easy to erase photos from your digital camera. Maybe because your camera's designers wanted an easy way to delete photos while they were testing the design. One or two button presses and that third rate photo has disappeared. Problem is, it's also quick and easy to delete a photo instead of saving it, for later transfer to your PC or your Flickr account. or even worse, you've formatted your whole memory card. Ouch!

If the file was on your PC you'd just open up the recycle bin and restore the photo you'd just deleted in error.

Unfortunately, you can't normally do the same on your digital camera. Does this problem mean that the photos you took so much time taking are now just digital dust?

Fortunately, the answer is "no".

But you need to be cautious. The memory card in your camera is quite a lot like the system on your PC's disk drive. The available files in the menu are ones that you haven't deleted. But the filing system is lazy and hasn't really deleted the file yet. What it's actually done is marked the "deleted" photo's space as ready to re-use..

So if you've accidentally erased a photo, don't do anything else on your camera until you've used a program to undelete the photo.

There's a simple piece of software that you can download which will come to the rescue.

It's as simple as hooking up your camera to your computer as you'd normally do. Then click the "next" button on the software. You can watch a demo of how this works here.

The photo un-delete program works to retrieve individual photos, your whole camera memoryy card (in those instances where the card has been totally formatted) and also has a high rate of success with those annoying errors that can affect memory cards.

That's all it takes to recover all your precious photos from your camera.

You can get this simple photo recovery software for instant download here.

Avoid Problems With Digital Photography

A problem with your digital camera when you're out taking pictures isn't always fixable.There's ways to avoid problems however!As you've no doubt often heard, "The best defense is a good offense.”  And the best offense here is to avoid problems with your digital camera in the first place.

 

That’s not to say things aren’t going to happen that are unexpected and unavoidable.Many of the common problems photographers have when out shooting pictures, however, could easily be remedied with just a little prior planning.

 

Dead Batteries

 

There’s nothing worse than missing that great picture because the camera battery died.To avoid the problem, always keep extra batteries in your camera case.Regular or rechargeable batteries, it doesn't matter, you need to keep at least one spare handy.. 

 

Also, bear in mind that if you’re outside shooting in cold weather, your batteries will die a lot quicker.Since digital camera batteries don't do well in cold weather and die pretty quickly, it might be wise to have more than one spare.

 

Yes, batteries are expensive, but it’s worth the spending a little extra money to keep from beating your head against the wall because a dead battery made you miss that once in a lifetime shot. 

 

 

When Cards Go Bad

 

A while back I went on vacation and took all my pictures on one card.I thought I'd have some lovely pictures.I was certain that card was full of fantastic pictures. 

 

The scenery was indeed breathtaking, but what really took my breath away was when I tried to load the pictures onto my computer and got one of those dreaded “ERROR” messages.The files were corrupted as the memory card was bad.Pictures on a corrupted disk are not pictures at all. They're just gone.

 

While it doesn’t happen often, cards can and do go bad.Avoiding total disaster is why it's better to have smaller cards to use with your digital camera, instead of just one gigantic memory card.Don't buy a 2-GB card, for example, get a couple of 1-GB cards instead. 

 

Yes, it’s cheaper to buy a huge bunch of gigabytes on one card.  But if that one card goes bad, there goes ALL your pictures.Be smart and don't make that mistake.Saving PART of your pictures is better than losing ALL your pictures. 

 

Remember, two cards are better than one.

 

 

It’s Raining, It’s Pouring

 

The weather isn’t cooperating, or maybe you just like pictures of rain.Perhaps you're somewhere else there's a lot of water in the air. Riding in a boat. Walking on the seashore.Ruining your camera would be a bummer, but you'd like to take some pictures.How can you save your digital camera?

 

Well, you can buy protective gear to keep in your camera case for such times.  Places like B & H Photo or Calumet Photographic stores carry waterproof cases.However, you might not want to spend that much money if you don't need waterproof casing very often.

 

For a make-do solution, carry a clear plastic bag in your camera case to keep water off your camera.If you don't have a plastic bag in your camera case and you're traveling, grab one of those disposable shower caps and use it.

 

Planning Ahead Saves Your Sanity

 

If planning ahead doesn’t save your sanity, it will at least improve your chances for good pictures with your digital camera.Keeping your camera dry, the batteries charged up, and extra memory cards in your camera case will at least give you the chance to try for good pictures.

 

And that’s why you bought a digital camera in the first place, right?

Tack Sharp Digital Photo Secrets

The most important ingredient for a spectacular photograph is to be sharply in focus.Without sharp focus, a good subject, color and lighting will still not make a good picture.

 

Photographers have somewhat varying opinions on what constitutes a tack sharp picture, but generally, a tack sharp photograph has good, clean lines.The picture will have clear definition, instead of being blurred.

 

There are several things you can do to increase your chances of getting that coveted tack sharp picture.

 

Hand-Held Digital Photography Tips

 

If you’re hand-holding your camera, brace your arms against your sides to help steady the camera.If your camera has anti-shake technology like Vibration Reduction (VR) or Image Stabilization (IS) lens, this is the time to have it turned on.

 

You can also lean against a wall or tree or whatever sturdy object that’s handy, and help keep yourself and your camera steady.Another idea is to lean or lay your camera on some handy sturdy object to help steady the camera.

 

Steadying your camera by hooking the strap under your elbow and wrapping the rest around your forearm will also help stabilize the camera and hold it steady in your hand.

 

Getting those tack sharp photos while hand-holding your camera can be difficult, so to increase your chances of getting that perfect shot, use the burst or continuous shooting mode on your camera to take several shots at once.At least one picture should be in sharp focus when you've taken a whole series of shots.

 

Tripods For Better Focus

 

There’s no getting around the fact that it’s easier to get a tack sharp photo using a tripod.A person just can't keep a camera as still and steady as a tripod does.Like lens and other things in life, with a tripod you likely get what you pay for.Cheap tripods will help steady the camera, but not as well as a more expensive tripod does.Buying the best tripod you can reasonably afford gets the best results.

 

The more expensive tripods don’t come with the head attached.This must be bought separately, but then you can choose which you like best.Buying a good quality ballhead for your tripod will help you get sharp photos by keeping your camera from sliding.

 

If you’re somewhere that carrying a tripod just won’t work, beanbags make a nice cushion for cameras in these settings.By cushioning your camera, the beanbag will help steady it and keep the picture sharp. It also helps you situate the camera to get just the photo you want.

 

To improve your chances of a tack sharp photo even more, use a cable release instead of pressing the shutter.There's enough movement when pressing the shutter, though it may not seem like much, to keep you from getting a well-focused picture.

 

If you don’t have a cable release, the self timer will also work.This allows you to press the shutter, but gives the camera time to stabilize before taking the picture.

 

More Advanced Digital Photography Secrets For Sharp Shots

 

If you have a digital SLR camera, there are even more ways to make sure your camera stays steady while taking pictures.

 

The first is to use mirror lock-up.When you take a picture the mirror doesn't move until after the picture is taken because it is locked in the up position. This limits the movement inside the camera.To take a picture, the shutter release button must be pressed twice on the remote or cable release (you aren't going to all this trouble and pressing the shutter release on the camera are you?).  The first press lifts the mirror and the second press actually takes the picture.

 

The second method is to turn off the Vibration Reduction or Image Stabilization.It may sound counter productive, but even after the camera is steady because of the tripod, the vibration control keeps looking for movement.Vibration reduction can actually cause some shaking by looking for movement that isn't there.Just remember, when hand-holding your camera, automatic vibration control is a good idea, but when using a tripod, it's best to turn them off.

 

One last way to increase the sharpness of your pictures is to have good glass.The lens used will make a considerable difference.  A quality lens with good glass is more expensive of course, but it’s another instance of getting what you pay for.It's an investment in fantastic photography.

 

Use as many methods as you can to steady your camera, and you’ll have a much better chance of getting those lovely tack sharp photographs. 

Digital Photography generally provides easier ways to take photographs

The use of Digital cameras, rather than film cameras is becoming much more widespread. Some amateurs, and even more professional photographers still prefer to stick with their favourite film cameras. With the ongoing advances in technology, digital cameras can now take as good, if not better photographs with a lot less hassle, and certainly less ongoing expense.

There are many types of photography, some of the main categories being portrait, landscape and action. These can then be sub-divided into other categories, and sometimes the camera you use will be different depending upon the type of photograph you are taking. A Digital Photography Tutorial can be found for all types.

Portrait photography can cover a wide number of subjects including family, wedding, child, maternity, formal etc. etc. The same equipment can generally be used for each, although accessories for backgrounds may sometimes need to be different. I would generally ask your subjects what they require and where they would like their portraits taken before embarking on any detailed plans. This is especially important when preparing for family photography. A good digital camera will serve you well. You can view your photographs as you take them and even when you are happy with the images you have taken you can still change them slightly with the use of a special programme on your computer. No more difficult developing, air brushing and printing!

Landscape digital photography can be just as difficult. Although one thinks of this as just taking photographs of views, it can cover a variety of other tecniques such as close-up photography of plants or other parts of the landscape. The use of filters can can still be used with digital cameras although they are not always necessary, since the required effect can often be obtained on the computer during processing and printing. Macro photography is much easier with a digital camera as it can be easier to stay in focus close up.

Action photography is by far the most difficult technique to learn, as it requires a good eye, fast reflexes and good judgement of speeds etc. A good , fast digital camera is required as the less expensive versions can often take a long time to start (a few seconds is to long for this sort of photography. You need immediate control.) Again, a digital camera is a lot more rewarding and inexpensive than cameras with film etc. It costs next to nothing to take photographs with a digital camera so that you can take many photographs of the same action and one at least should satisfy your image of what you want. {This would have been much more expensive with the cost of films and processing in past times}{Even though film has generally been cheap, it is still more expensive than digital}. What’s more, with digital photography you can instantly see what you have taken and dispose of those images which do not reach your expectations.

To improve your skills, digital photograhy tips can be found freely on the web

Brian the Photographer

Lighting for Digital Photography

Lighting is important for a good picture in any type of photography.Pictures with different amounts of light have greatly different looks, and even the emotional appeal is different.  Bright lighting tends to lend a happier feel to your pictures, while shadows promote more of an air of mystery to the subject.

 

Traditional photography captured the light by impressions on chemicals, while digital photography uses pixels to capture light.The best light is natural, but sometimes there's not enough available for a good picture.Sometimes there isn't enough available light, and you need to use artificial lighting.

 

How Much Light Is There?

 

While you can see for yourself to some extent how much light is available, to get precise measurements you need a light meter.A light meter is not the same thing as a flash for digital cameras.A flash illuminates the subject, while a light meter just tells you how much light is being reflected from the subject. 

 

A handheld light meter will measure the light and was once a standard part of any serious photographer’s equipment.Since most digital cameras now have built-in light meters, you can tell how bright the picture will be just by looking through the eyepiece.If it's too dark, the camera's built-in light meter will set off the automatic flash. 

 

Histograms Instead of Light Meters

 

Also, with digital cameras, it’s not so important to have a light meter because most have a histogram.A histogram can be used somewhat like a light meter, since it shows how light or dark the picture is.

 

If you don’t have a histogram on your camera, or just don’t want to fuss with it, the simplest method is to take a picture and review it to see how it looks, and if it’s too dark or light, adjust by adding more light or lowering the amount of light.

A lot of practice and a lot of patience will help you get the best lighting for your photographs.

Difficult To Top A Canon Digital Camera

digital zoom cameras

Canon is famous across the continent for information systems and imaging equipment. Their many products include copiers, printers, lenses, camcorders, semiconductors, and of course Canon digital cameras.

The latest high end canon digital camera is the PowerShot SX110 IS. This is a 10.0 mega pix digital Canon camera that has a 4x digital and 12x optical zooms. It is made with an Optical Image Stabilizer that all but eliminates shaking of the camera for those who have nervous hands when taking shots. The UD lens provides amazing color accuracy throughout the digital camera zoom area.

As with many digital cameras nowadays, the SX100 can record moving pictures. Such is the same with others in the same family like the Canon ELPH digital camera. Now with another first, the SX110 allows you to record moving pictures, and there no use for missing a perfect image incorporated with that moving picture. With the Movie Snap feature, just snap away when you see that perfect image, and it will be saved in your canon digital camera along with the recorded video.

This canon digital camera is also equipped with the DIGIC II Image processor that is designed to increase processing speed and image quality. It instantly says that with the DIGIC II, your canon digital camera has faster start-up time, playback and auto focus while giving your images the absolute brilliance.

The SX110 also support USB 2.0 Hi-speed standard, when transferring files to and from your computer with ease. With the USB 2.0, you can take advantage of your super hi-speed SD card.

This canon digital camera is also supplied with a 1.8 inch LCD fold out screen contains 116,000 pixel resolution. SX100 shoots at 30 frames per second; this shooting rate can be reduced when taking pictures in night display, to give you the brightness that you need when taking pictures.

On the other hand, the latest point and shoot canon digital camera is the PowerShot SD950.

The SD500 is the first 7.1 mega pixel Canon digital camera that prepares terrific pics and incredible details. It has a 3x optical zoom that enables close up shooting with a 37-111mm equivalent with a 35mm film camera. This is one of the new perpetual curve design for a canon digital camera that fits the hands perfectly.

With an ultra slim design, you'll be amazed at the 2 inch LCD that makes playback a breeze.

It also comes with the same DIGIC II Image Processor that are found in other Canon cameras. Also it is USB 2.0 compatible and works with the same high-speed SD card.

Even better than most digital cameras out there, this gadget can shoot moving images to up to 60 frames per second- perfect for moving objects (especially in sports) and a 30 frames per second for shooting still images. Furnished with scene modes like portrait (blurs the background and focuses on your subject), foliage (perfect for foliage, greenery or blossoms), beach (sunny shots without the dark faces), underwater (reduced background scatter. Tip: you can always buy waterproof case for shooting underwater images), fireworks, night snapshot, kids and pets, indoor, snow and digital macro (larger than life images).

This canon digital camera even enables you to customize and correct as you shoot. With modes like lightening skin tones, positive film, darker skin tones and others, you can never go wrong with using a canon digital camera.

Best Digital Cameras

The Best Digital Cameras Take Magnificent Pictures

The best digital cameras take fantastic pictures, and pictures are memories. The best digital cameras record so many memories that will remain treasures for generations. The best digital cameras have improved so much that even the pros are using these great machines. Each person who wants to record the family memories will be happy to know that they can use the best digital cameras and get photos that pros would be proud of for their publications. There was a time in the recent past when digital cameras took acceptable pictures, but these machines did not take great pictures.

All that has changed with the recent advances and the best digital cameras. The best digital cameras now take photos that are clear. These photos are not grainy like the best from a few years ago. The pictures with the best digital cameras are worthy of publication if the composition is important. The pictures with the best digital cameras that are not important to the general population will remain great photos for the family archives. Generations to come will be able to see images of their ancestors, and they will probably recognize many of the family characteristics.

The Best Digital Cameras Are Easy To Use

The best digital cameras not only take great pictures, but they take these pictures easily. Almost any amateur looking for some great pictures will be able to use these wonderful cameras. The cameras have many advantages over the cameras from the past. These cameras allow for mistakes. The photographer using a digital camera can see the picture before they take it, and they can examine the image captured as soon as the action is complete. They will be able to instantaneously decide if they would like to keep that image. If they are not happy with their work, the photographer can delete that photo and continue to take pictures.

The latest digital cameras can be used to print the photos as they are taken or soon afterward. With the proper equipment, a photographer can take a picture and hook it up to a printer to see the image. These cameras can also be used to send the pictures instantaneously around the block or around the world. Relatives thousands of miles away can have a look at the latest family activities within seconds. They will be able to print these out for their archives as well. The whole family should enjoy the images captured with the best digital cameras.